472kHz update

With nearly 2 weeks of operation on the new band with very low EIRP levels (varying from typically 5-10mW with 100mW on just one occasion) perhaps it is time to summarise how things have been going. A check of the WSPR database shows almost 70 unique reports across Europe of my signals from just a few km away to 1736km. I have still not managed to be copied by TF3HZ in Iceland at just over 2000km and this is my next target. To achieve this will need me to re-erect and better optimise my Marconi vertical. With some optimisation it should just about be possible achieve 200mW EIRP.

Unique WSPR spots in the last 2 weeks on 472kHz

On CW I have received a report from over 160km away when I was calling CQ. A JT9-1 QSO with G3ZJO at 79km is still my best 2-way QSO, although I believe it should be possible to work much further with this mode (I worked OR7T in Belgium with it on 500kHz).

So, pretty satisfying results so far. This has been helped by the huge number of stations currently monitoring WSPR on the new band - frequently over 40 people at any one time. Right now there are 59 stations monitoring!

On 136kHz the challenge with small antennas and low power is considerably harder on WSPR as there are too few stations monitoring: even if the signal was getting several hundred km, one can only tell if someone is at the far end and reporting it.